Jose Quintana is returning from injury soon, but his role may have changed
Jose Quintana sliced his thumb before the Cubs’ Summer Camp, AKA Spring Training 2.0, putting him on the IL and out of consideration for Chicago’s rotation for the time being. On Monday, the 31-year-old threw a bullpen session and is making strides towards a return to the mound on Chicago’s North Side.
Unfortunately for Quintana, and likely to the Cubs’ benefit, his role might be gone when he arrives. Alec Mills, who has taken Quintana’s place in the rotation at the No. 5 spot, has thrived so far this season, to the tune of a 2-0 record, 1.38 ERA and 0.77 WHIP. Those numbers are far too successful to move to the bullpen right now, at least until he falters.
So what should the Cubs do with Quintana?
Well, as we’re seeing around baseball, the lack of a traditional offseason paired with a quick restart and the threat of COVID-19 mean teams need to have as many pitchers available as possible should they want to make a run at the 2020 World Series. The Cubs are off to a great start in the NL Central, sitting at 8-2 and three games up on the second-place Reds. Adding Quintana as a long-relief option, or even a spot starter, would be beneficial.
For now, there are no weak links in the Cubs rotation, although it’s only been ten games. Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Yu Darvish, Tyler Chatwood and now Mills should remain untouched, at least for the time being.
The Cubs’ once-lofty expectations for Quintana (they traded Eloy Gimenez for him) have not been met. While his numbers since the switch from the South Side are not horrible by any stretch, a 4.68 ERA in 2019 doesn’t reflect the White Sox’s return, and to this point Quintana has been a relative disappointment. As much as the Cubs would like him to prove them right in 2020, that urge should not overwhelm the actual reality that Mills is by far the better option right now.